Wineries launch passport program to expand tastes

Minnesota's wine industry is launching its first-ever passport program in hopes of enticing more visitors to the state's growing cluster of wineries.

For $25, a visitor can buy a passport good for 10 wine tastings at any of 30 participating Minnesota wineries.

"Typically, a tasting is anywhere from $5 to $12 apiece," said Missy Machkhashvili, events coordinator for the Minnesota Grape Growers Association. "Depending on how many wines a winery is producing, the tasting can be from anywhere from three to seven different wines."

The passport idea has been successful in other states, so the grape growers are bringing it here to encourage visitors to explore a Minnesota industry that has doubled in size since 2007.

"It gets people to sample wines they may not normally try and to develop their palate for cold-climate wines," Machkhashvili said Wednesday.

Attracting tourists is vital to the industry because most Minnesota wine is still sold at wineries and not in liquor stores. Plus, the notion of a Minnesota wine continues to surprise people.

"I have a winery myself, and so many times, people come in and say, 'I didn't know you could grow grapes in Minnesota,' " said Terri Sovereign, owner of Sovereign Estate Wine in Waconia. "With these new (grape) releases from the University of Minnesota, we are now making quality wines, and we want people to know about it."

There are now 43 wineries in Minnesota, so more than two-thirds of them are participating in the passport program.

Advertisement

The program includes both well-established wineries, such as the pioneering Alexis Bailly Vineyard near Hastings, as well as newcomers like Schram Vineyards in Waconia, which opened this month.

There are rules and restrictions. The passports allow for one wine-tasting per customer per winery. Passports don't expire, but sponsors intend to issue new ones each year. And a few wineries may have other restrictions. For more information, go to mngrapegrowers.com/passport.